IgniteNORTH COUNTRY REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL 2015 UPSTATE REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE GREAT MOMENTS ARE BORN FROM GREAT OPPORTUNITIES. Herb Brooks, Coach 1980 U.S Olympic Hockey Team Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Agriculture and Clean Energy Tourism and Community Centers TARGET SECTORS TARGET 4 OVERVIEW Introduction 8 Executive Summary 12 Foundations for Economic Growth, Planning & Investment 14 Current Regional Economic Performance 18 The Three Key Sectors of the North Country’s URI Plan 24 ADVANCED MANUFACTURING Foundations for Economic Growth, Planning and Investment 29 AND INNOVATION Where Investment Will Grow the Region 34 Strategies and Actions That Will Increase Regional Wealth 42 Signature Projects 47 AGRICULTURE AND Foundations for Economic Growth, Planning and Investment 67 CLEAN ENERGY Where Investment Will Grow the Region 74 Strategies and Actions That Will Increase Regional Wealth 84 Signature Projects 91 TOURISM AND Foundations for Economic Growth, Planning and Investment 111 COMMUNITY CENTERS Where Investment Will Grow the Region 118 Strategies and Actions That Will Increase Regional Wealth 124 Signature Projects 129 ECONOMIC SECTOR Alignment with Relevant State Initiatives and Priorities 146 INTEGRATION Sustainability 155 Readiness to Proceed 156 Veterans . 1 6 1 Hard-to-Place Workers 162 Stimulate Innovation and Entrepreneurship 164 Public Engagement and Collaboration 167 Anticipated Outcomes 169 Implementation of the Plan 174 INDEX Reference Index 178 6 Introduction Executive Summary Overview Foundations for Growth Current Regional Economic Performance 7 OVERVIEW: INTRODUCTION “Welcome World. We’re Ready!” With these words, the Rev Bernard Fell, President of the Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee, welcomed the world to the North Country for the 1980 Winter Olympics, igniting the Olympic flame in our region for the second time They are simple words, yet they convey the determination and spirit of a region of New York that has long INTRODUCTION been ready and willing to dare to do great things As a familiar refrain, these simple words echo across the region once again as we contemplate what achievements may lie ahead for the North Country: “What if?” A question asked not in backward-looking doubt, but in forward-thinking wonder WHAT IF...? 8 IGNITING AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION OVERVIEW: INTRODUCTION we could capitalize on our Olympic heritage to reinforce our special role as New York’s WHAT center for international sports competitions of all kinds? And what if this is the way IF forward to welcome the Olympics to New York once again? we could make the North Country the world’s next center for innovative aerospace, WHAT transforming the regional economy while establishing New York at the forefront of the IF transformation of global aircraft maintenance? WHAT we could capitalize on existing educational and business resources to make the North IF Country a global capital of bioengineering? we could harness our unique assets of water, forests and agriculture to become New WHAT York’s top center for innovation in connecting renewable energy to year-round food IF production? WHAT we could build upon our unique approach to binational economics to make the North Country a center for international collaboration, from sports to tourism to energy to IF logistics? IGNITING AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION 9 OVERVIEW: INTRODUCTION Welcome World! More than any other region of New York outside of New York City, the North Country has long welcomed the world and engaged internationally in ways that are seldom expected of a largely rural area The men and women of Fort Drum who are defending freedom around the world are a prime example In the process, we have come to understand that we have a special place in the world, and that understanding informs all facets of our thinking as we consider the future. We do, indeed, welcome the world, and we embrace our role within it as players rather than as bystanders, proactively shaping and being shaped by global activity and commerce 10 IGNITING AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION OVERVIEW: INTRODUCTION We’re Ready! We have demonstrated our commitment to performance and results, earning the highest recognition for three successive years of the REDC process From the beginning we have chosen well in identifying our key sectors of opportunity And through the power of our unprecedented regional collaboration, our commitment to our strategies, and our determined delivery of not only foundation-building projects but also documented results, we have positioned ourselves to say with confidence, “We are ready!” We are fully ready to answer each of the “What if?” questions we have posed with the words of President Franklin Roosevelt when he dedicated the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway: “It can be done!” Indeed, we are ready to do no less than IGNITE AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, building upon our determined and diligent preparations, and our innate and unique character to positively transform all parts of the North Country for generations to come The spirit of Olympic competition…The spirit of innovation…The spirit of enterprise The spirit of the North Country! Let’s IGNITE that revolution together! IGNITING AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION 11 OVERVIEW: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The North Country is uniquely positioned to welcome the world to New York through strategic investments in global manufacturing, advanced food production, tourism, and the pursuit of an Olympic Winter Games. Our strategy capitalizes on our strengths, maximizes counties, the connectivity the regional council our opportunities, and addresses our challenges in has developed with the region’s business leaders, order to leverage private sector investment, create colleges and universities, agricultural providers, jobs, and generate wealth in the region and the state community organization professionals, government officials, and residents has yielded a URI proposal As demonstrated during the last four years, the North that will transform the regional economy Country Regional Economic Development Council has developed and cultivated connections across Since the URI competition was announced in the the region that have positioned NCREDC to solicit spring, the council has sought information from EXECUTIVE SUMMARY the wide-ranging input necessary to develop a URI business, not-for-profit, and government leaders; proposal that will transform the region and the state economic development agencies; and the public While the North Country is dispersed geographically, throughout the region economically, and socially throughout seven large 12 IGNITING AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION OVERVIEW: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since Governor Cuomo launched the Economic unique prestige associated with two internationally-recognized Development Council process, we have taken what destinations and existing market demand to attract and we have learned—from investors, potential investors, revitalize lodging facilities, energize downtowns, create access, communities, existing businesses, and a study of market and position the region for a possible future Olympic event; and trends—and together with a better understanding of our we will become the state’s top producer of high-quality, food own strengths, we have devised a plan that will take our grown using renewable energy, supplying Northeast and global region to the next level with the infusion of URI funds markets while creating the greenest energy economy in the state We are poised to welcome the world into our region and to send our products out to the world This plan focuses on three primary sectors in order to achieve our goals: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation; Agriculture and Clean Energy; and Tourism and Community Centers. While elements of these strategies have guided our efforts over the last five years and while we have leveraged state funding to demonstrate measurable successes, the overall economic profile of the North Country has not yet been fully transformed. In the 21st century, the North Country will become a center of excellence and innovation for transportation equipment, additive materials, and immunoengineering; we will capitalize upon the IGNITING AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION 13 OVERVIEW: FOUNDATIONS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, PLANNING & INVESTMENT FOUNDATIONS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, PLANNING & INVESTMENT To develop strategies that best position the North Country High growth potential based on demand driven from for sustainable economic growth, the Council analyzed outside the region as measured by current economic data, evaluated the region’s strengths and An ability to capitalize on unique assets such as assets, consulted with stakeholders, analyzed market trends proximity to Canadian markets and large population and consumer demand, and identified sectors that attract centers, and natural resource assets such as high strong interest from the private sector. To refine its focus, quality water and renewable energy resources; the Council established five criteria to identify the regional growth clusters that have the greatest potential to transform A unique capacity and expertise in attracting and the North Country’s economy, and to bring the highest facilitating investment and economic benefits from level of wealth creation for a largely rural area with no large the region’s special connectedness with Québec and metropolitan center eastern Ontario A strong presence in the region as measured by A foundation based on existing strengths such as location quotients and existing concentrations relative agricultural